


wangxian cooking

by wangxianmp3



Category: Mo Dao Zu Shi, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV)
Genre: M/M, i kind of got inspired by sweetness & lightning SO put it in mdzs form, literally have no idea what im doing i just wanted to post smth cute, this is only the first part i might post more that goes into more detail about things LOL
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:21:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22473259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wangxianmp3/pseuds/wangxianmp3
Summary: The voice was quiet, but the door opened anyway, and the man was still hidden by darkness. He wasn't recognizable, until he turned around and motioned with his arm to follow him inside. Wei Wuxian followed close behind. The young man turned on the lights to the restaurant, and once Wei Wuxian got a glimpse, a feeling rushed over him: he knew this person. The one and only Lan Wangji!
Comments: 1
Kudos: 61





	wangxian cooking

**Author's Note:**

> literally just had a bunch of thoughts on tumblr about wangxian cooking together so i decided to write some. idk if im really trying to make this like a Full Story, but we'll see

"Xian-gege, will I get to spend the night with you?" the young child spoke with a delighted tone, tugging at Wei Wuxian's leg and looking up at him with admiration. "We can watch cartoons all day!" 

"Only if A-Yuan is a good boy," Wen Qing said lightly. She handed Wei Wuxian a bag of the little boy's clothes, his toothbrush, and some snacks. "Are you sure you can watch him for the entire weekend? I can cut it short and be home Saturday night." Her way of speaking, she was nervous, they had never spent an entire weekend at a client's home before, and they'd never had Wei Wuxian babysit that long. 

"It'll be fine," Wei Wuxian said with a smile, though his voice rose and he spoke, fake-hurt, "I'm offended that you think I can't watch a toddler for a few days! Have more faith in me, Wen Qing!" She rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway. "We'll be responsible, won't we, A-Yuan?" A-Yuan looked up at Wen Qing, his face serious, as he nodded fast. "I've got this, please don't worry. I'll call if there's any trouble." Seeming pleased, Wen Qing took her leave, and Wei Wuxian and A-Yuan both waved her off, watching the two siblings disappear down the street and Wei Wuxian picked up the little boy, carrying him into the living room. "A-Yuan, how about I put on some cartoons? I'll start making dinner, and by the time your show's done, we can eat!" 

A-Yuan hurried to turn on the T.V., grabbing the remote and thrusting it into Wei Wuxian's hands. "Cartoons!" Wei Wuxian looked until he found something appropriate for the little boy, and set about making dinner. Usually, he'd order takeout for himself and A-Yuan, or rely on Wen Qing's snacks to be enough to satisfy him, but he didn't have enough money to be ordering takeout for the next three days, so he decided to cook something easy but simple enough that A-Yuan would like. He started to make congee, heating up a pot on the stove and getting out his ingredients, even bringing out some of the spicy pepper flakes that he kept for meals that needed spicing up. 

Surely it wouldn't be too spicy for A-Yuan, so he added a few shakes into the pot, let it cook, and by the time it was ready the credits on the T.V. were rolling and A-Yuan was sitting at Wei Wuxian's table with spoon ready in hand. "Maybe we can go to the park tomorrow, wouldn't that be fun, A-Yuan?" Wei Wuxian filled up a bowl with the congee and placed it in front of A-Yuan, repeating the action with a second bowl and dipping a spoon in. "We can do all kinds of things, since Wen Qing won't be able to scold us!" 

The little boy dug in, but after a few minutes, he started to look pale. "Xian-gege," he groaned, "I don't feel well." He ran to the bathroom, and Wei Wuxian followed after him. The little one had gotten sick. From his food! Wei Wuxian had managed to poison A-Yuan in only a few short hours! He didn't know what to do. He had no way of transportation, and he couldn't carry a sick A-Yuan to the nearest hospital, but he felt like he couldn't just leave A-Yuan in here, either. He was in and out of consciousness, babbling about feeling sick and being hungry, and Wei Wuxian didn't think, only picked him up and hoisted him onto his back. He opened the door to his apartment and ran down the steps, looking up and down each street for anything that could help him.

A light illuminating from one of the buildings had been Wei Wuxian's hope. Everything else was closed, but there was still one light on! He took no time rushing to the front door and rapping on the door until he was sure someone had heard him. "Please help! My son is sick," Wei Wuxian begged, figuring that someone might take pity on a young single father. He also didn't want to explain that he was just a babysitter.

A voice inside spoke, calm and quietly: "We are closed."

"I don't know where else to go," Wei Wuxian pleaded. "Please. He might need to go to the doctor, and I can't get him there quickly."

"What happened to him?"

"I fed him some congee, and he got sick!"

The voice didn't respond, but the door opened anyway, and the man was still hidden by darkness. He wasn't recognizable, until he turned around and motioned with his arm to follow him inside. Wei Wuxian followed close behind. The young man turned on the lights to the restaurant, and once Wei Wuxian got a glimpse, a feeling rushed over him: he _knew_ this person. The one and only Lan Wangji! 

"Wei Ying," the great Lan Wangji says. His face still as serious as ever, not a drop of humor in the man. He'd always been like this, even in high school. Wei Wuxian would have thought he might have loosened up a bit after, but his demeanor was the same.

"Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian grinned when he recognized him. "It's been too long. I haven't seen you since graduation." He looked down at the young Wen family member, remembering why he was here. Lan Wangji fetched the two of them some water and A-Yuan drank, almost coming back to life. 

"I'm hungry, Xian-gege," A-Yuan moaned. "So hungry."

Wei Wuxian looked at Lan Wangji, then said apologetically, "Lan Zhan, can we bother you for a meal? I'm so sorry..."

"Mmn." Lan Wangji replied. "Wait here."

Though he knew Lan Wangji's family was popular in high school, he had never had any of the Lan family food. He was excited to get a taste of Lan Wangji's cooking! After a few minutes, a strong aroma filled the entire restaurant, and Wei Wuxian's mouth salivated. "We're going to eat famous food, A-Yuan," Wei Wuxian whispered excitedly. When Wei Wuxian was about to get impatient, fidgeting with his hands as he waited, Lan Wangji finally came out from the kitchen, carrying two bowls and a pot with a lid.

Before Wei Wuxian started eating, he fished around in his pocket for his wallet, and when he couldn't find it, he clasped his hands in apology. "Lan Zhan! Please don't hate me, but I left my wallet at home. I can pay you tomorrow, I promise!" Lan Wangji ignored him, placed two bowls in front of the boy and Wei Wuxian. He opened the pot to expose its contents: a soup filled with vegetables, and it smelled so delicious Wei Wuxian couldn't wait to dig in. Before he ate, though, he knitted his brows together in confusion. "There's enough to share, eat some soup with us, Lan Zhan?"

"Yeah, eat with us!" At the sight of food, A-Yuan seemed to come alive again. His eyes sparkled when he brought a spoonful of broth to his mouth. "It's tasty!"

"No talking during meals," Lan Wangji said to the little boy. Wei Wuxian watched, transfixed, as A-Yuan obeyed and his mouth stay shut as he ate. 

"I have to tell him multiple times before he listens to me!" Wei Wuxian said in disbelief. "Yet, you feed him once and he listens to you without complaint!" The man pouted, and then smiled at Lan Wangji. "No hurt feelings, Lan Zhan. Won't you sit down with us, even if you don't eat? It has been so long since we've seen each other. What has the great Hanguang-Jun been up to since we last saw one another, hmm?" Lan Wangji tensed at the silly nickname he'd been given in high school. 

He didn't reply, but made his way to the seat next to Wei Wuxian's. 

"Still as silent and cool as ever, Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian taunted him, and Lan Zhan shot him a cold glare that sent a shiver down his spine. He looked down at the soup, letting the taste of the broth linger in his mouth. It was delicious, worthy of its reputation! He nearly finished the whole thing in under a few minutes, the taste reminding him of something familiar...

"It's so good," Wei Wuxian shook the thought away. "I could eat this every day and never get tired of it!"

"Xian-gege's soup made me sick," A-Yuan commented, after he cleaned his bowl. "But you made me better! Thank you!" As A-Yuan said this, he ran to meet Lan Wangji's leg, and held onto it tightly. As Wei Wuxian was about to tell A-Yuan not to bother him, he saw Lan Wangji's lips curl up into a smile. A _smile!_ As long as Wei Wuxian has known him, the days spent with him in school, he'd never seen him smile, not once.

It was something that made his heartbeat pound in his chest.

"You've found a new favorite!" Wei Wuxian fake cried, burying his face in his hands and pretending to cry, peeking through slits in his fingers to see if A-Yuan looked guilty or not. To his surprise, A-Yuan was not paying attention to him at all. He was staring at Lan Wangji, climbing up to his lap, and pressing his head against his chest. Did this kid know about personal space? "A-Yuan! Come over here. Don't bother him, he's been so kind to us."

"It's fine," Lan Wangji interrupted. "Wei Ying, do you not know how to cook?"

"I do," he protested, but under Lan Zhan's eyes he grew nervous and looked down at the ground as he spoke, "I just might have added too much spice...I didn't realize it'd make him sick." The last part was said in a mumble - too afraid to admit that he might have fucked up in a major way. 

"He will keep getting sick." Lan Wangji let A-Yuan grab onto his fingers. "He deserves a proper meal."

"We will just have to come here every day to get a taste of your cooking, Lan Zhan." Wei Wuxian joked, "It is good, but not as good as my -" He paused, and Lan Wangji looked at him, clearly sensing the hesitation. "I can see why it's popular," he finished. "How is your brother?"

"Busy." 

"You really haven't changed." Wei Wuxian kept his eyes on A-Yuan, who was beginning to doze off, his eyes blinking open and closing. "I should get him back, before he falls asleep here." He carefully picked up A-Yuan and carried him. "I'll be back tomorrow to pay you back for the meal."

"No need." Lan Wangji told him. 

"What?" He spun around to look back at him. 

"I said, there's no need. For you to pay me."

"But Lan Zhan..."

Lan Wangji was quiet, but something told Wei Wuxian that he wanted to say something, but didn't quite know how to say it. He waited. "I can teach you."

"Teach me what?" Wei Wuxian questioned. The words hadn't been at all what he was expecting. _Wait...Teach me how to...?_

"To cook. For him." Lan Wangji explained carefully, looking at A-Yuan. "I don't want him getting sick."

"Oh, Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian tried to laugh it off. "Really, it's not necessary! You've already done enough, I'm sure you have better things to do with your time than try to teach me how to cook." 

"Come tomorrow." 

Seeing Lan Wangji so determined, he sighed and threw his hands up. "Okay, okay, but I'm bringing money tomorrow to pay back what I owe you." Without a response from him, Wei Wuxian carried the sleeping boy back to his apartment, tucked him into bed, and let the exhaustion come over him.

The next day, Wei Wuxian and A-Yuan walked back to the Lan restaurant, A-Yuan holding a drawing that he doodled earlier on in the day. "What is that?" Wei Wuxian asked curiously, though A-Yuan covered it with his hands. 

"Don't look! It's not for you," he stuck his tongue out. 

Even now, he still tried to hide it from Wei Wuxian's eyes. As they approached the doors, Lan Wangji opened them. A-Yuan ran up to him, attached himself to the man's leg, all while waving the picture in his face. 

"Is this for me?" Lan Wangji asked, taking it from A-Yuan's small hand and squinting his eyes to get a better look. Wei Wuxian rushed over to get a look at what he'd been hiding, and he burst into a fit of giggles at the sight of a crayon Lan Wangji with what appeared to be a smaller, messier scribble next to him. If he had to guess, it probably was A-Yuan. For as long as Wei Wuxian has known A-Yuan, he has never received a gift like this! He felt betrayed. "Thank you, A-Yuan," Lan Wangji spoke softly, kneeling down to meet A-Yuan's eyes. "You're very talented. I will keep this with me." Wei Wuxian hurried to get out his wallet, offering Lan Wangji enough to cover dinner from the night before. Though they were both stubborn it seemed, Wei Wuxian refused to budge. Lan Wangji finally took it, hiding it away. "Wash your hands," he said.

Wei Wuxian rolled up his sleeves, and did as instructed. "A-Yuan, why don't you go sit down? You can watch us cook from there." After his hands were washed, he asked, "What am I learning today, teacher?"

"Read," Lan Wangji answered. He pointed to an open book that was filled with recipes. The Lan cookbook...Wei Wuxian thought for a second how much that thing would be worth, and his eyes scan the page. 

"Fried rice?" 

"Easy - so you won't mess up," Lan Wangji stated bluntly. Wei Wuxian felt his face grow hot. _Lan Zhan! He couldn't soften the blow a little?_ He read the page, marveled at how perfect the handwriting was, and started to prep when something in Lan Wangji's hand met with his stomach. "You have to wear an apron." After a few minutes of trying to tie it himself, Lan Wangji tied it for him. "Get the ingredients out, and I'll get a pan ready."

Wei Wuxian gathered all the ingredients together, and then Lan Wangji came, knife in hand. He quickly showed Wei Wuxian how to cut the vegetables, to which Wei Wuxian whined, "I know how to cut vegetables, Lan Zhan! I'm not completely helpless." He took to chopping vegetables, doing what Lan Zhan told him to and throwing them in the pan. Lan Wangji also told him to boil the rice, and when that was done, Lan Wangji tossed them all together, adding soy sauce and after a few moments, the rice was done! It had been so simple! Wei Wuxian felt a surge of pride after he saw what he helped make, and he hoped he didn't ruin it somehow. "Eat with us this time," Wei Wuxian demanded. "I'm not taking no for an answer." 

A-Yuan leaned forward to get a better look at the food. 

Lan Wangji cleared a booth, and they sat together, serving themselves. "Thank you, Lan Zhan," the man couldn't help but say, the same smile still plastered on his face. Bracing himself for if the meal turned out bad, he closed his eyes as he shoved his spoon into his mouth. 

It tasted...so _good!_

He smiled and let out a satisfied sigh. He made this, and it wasn't awful, and he couldn't have done it without Lan Wangji's help. A-Yuan was quiet as he inhaled his rice, probably remembering the rule from last night. "A-Yuan," Wei Wuxian cautioned. "Take your time, you'll choke if you aren't careful."

His movements slowed, and he chewed more thoroughly. 

Wei Wuxian insisted on letting him and A-Yuan clean the dishes and they spent the next half hour cleaning and drying the plates. He set the last plate on the rack, wiped some sweat from his forehead, and smiled at Lan Wangji once more. "I appreciate you teaching me this. You are actually quite a softie, deep down, aren't you?" Lan Wangji just scoffed. "Was that...the only lesson?" Wei Wuxian asked. Lan Wangji looked at him, confused. "I mean...could you teach me more? It was fun cooking with you, Lan Zhan."

"If you want me to," he finally responded. "I can teach you more." 

The next day, Wen Qing and Wen Ning both arrived during the evening. They looked tired, probably from traveling all day, but even still, Wen Qing asked A-Yuan how his babysitter did. "Xian-gege's house is so fun!" A-Yuan told her. "Can A-Yuan stay again?"

"If Wei Wuxian allows it," Wen Qing told him. 

"Anytime you need me, I'm here," Wei Wuxian told her in response. There was relief in his voice, surely A-Yuan would have ratted him out. "He wasn't any trouble at all." 

"Thank you," Wen Ning smiled at Wei Wuxian, and the three of them said goodbye. Closing the door behind him, Wei Wuxian was left alone.

Wei Wuxian worked as a teacher, which really would have surprised anyone who knew him in his youth. He was a smart man, had the intelligence to rival Lan Wangji's, he liked learning but always found himself in trouble at school. It was behavioral problems, mostly. He remembers how he'd always get into fights, sticking up for the weaker person who didn't know how to defend himself. When he saw someone getting bullied, he'd often fight with the bully in place of the one being bullied. He just tended to get himself in trouble, even if his intentions were good. It was even a surprise to him, that he intended to return to school to teach the younger generation.

But he did anyway, and the thing was, he actually _enjoyed_ it. That was the most surprising thing, there was just something that made Wei Wuxian want to teach, and he worked hard for it. 

While his students were on lunch break, he took the time to look up the phone number for the restaurant, and called it. When there was no answer, Wei Wuxian figured that it was probably busy, and made a note to call later. 

If they were going to cook together, it'd make sense for Wei Wuxian to give him his phone number, right? He wrote down a reminder to himself to call once lunch died down and spent most of the day reminiscing about his high school days. He remembered Lan Wangji, how he'd tease him relentlessly because he was such a rule-follower, gossiping with Nie Huaisang and trying to get a rise out of the model student. Jiang Cheng, too, though he scolded Wei Wuxian when his tricks went too far. 

_Jiang Cheng._ He wondered...

The bell rang, signaling it was time for class to start. Wei Wuxian pushed the memories of the past far away, deeper and deeper into himself. 

***

Lan Xichen came home earlier than usual. He opened the door, quietly making his way through the house, careful not to make too much noise. "Wangji," the older man said. "I asked Uncle to let me leave early, so we could spend some time together." He smiled when he spotted Lan Wangji in the kitchen, stirring a pot of something on the stove. "I haven't seen you all week. I hope the restaurant hasn't been hard for you to manage?"

"No, Brother." Lan Wangji drew his attention to his older brother. When he saw Lan Xichen smile, it brought a sense of comfort. It was nice - to see his brother in person, and not just through passing notes left in the early mornings, or text messages that were only a few words at a time. "It's been no trouble." There is something strange about his younger brother, but Lan Xichen couldn't quite put his finger on it. Almost as if Wangji knew Xichen had figured something out, he broke his gaze to look down at the pot. _Congee,_ Lan Xichen thought to himself. _He never makes that. What is he doing?_

"Wangji?" The man finally questioned, and Wangji stiffened. "Is there anything that you want to tell me?" 

"I..." Lan Wangji swallowed. "I've been teaching."

"Teaching?" Xichen inquired. His eyebrow quirked up, and he chuckled, "Don't be so nervous. Just explain to me."

"Teaching someone...to cook," Lan Wangji finally admitted. "He has a son, and he made him sick with his cooking. I offered to teach him."

"Ah. You are teaching him to cook in the restaurant?" Lan Xichen guessed. Lan Wangji nodded, as if he were about to be scolded. "Is he someone you know?"

"A classmate," muttered Lan Wangji. 

"It wouldn't be...Wei Wuxian?" By the way Lan Wangji reacted, his eyes widening, Lan Xichen only chuckled and put a comforting hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "I do not mind," Xichen told him gently. "I do have one request though..." 

***

"Wait, what?" Wei Wuxian asked incredulously. He wondered if he had heard Lan Zhan right. "Your brother...wants to cook for me?"

"And A-Yuan." Lan Wangji reminded him. "If I am going to teach you to cook, he wants to meet."

"O...kay?" Wei Wuxian felt himself sweat. He felt himself starting to regret ever agreeing to the lessons. "I'll...make room in my schedule." Lan Wangji hung up, then, and Wei Wuxian leaned forward and rubbed his temples with his fingers. "It's just Lan Xichen..." he whined to no one in particular. "So why am I so nervous?" He had to make a good impression! He searched through his calendar to find a date that he was babysitting A-Yuan, and texted the day and time to Lan Wangji. A few seconds later, he received a text message as confirmation. If...if Lan Xichen was going to be so courteous as to cook him and A-Yuan a meal, he could at least...

His eyes flicked over to his wallet. 

_Emperor's Smile._

Before he could change his mind, he got ready and set out to buy the wine as a gift for the Lan brothers. Now the only problem would be ignoring the temptation of drinking the bottle himself.


End file.
